As a microbial ecologist, my research focuses on the diversity, function, and processes of microorganisms across systems ranging from laboratory models to natural marine ecosystems, with particular emphasis on bacterioplankton and its role in biogeochemical cycles. I obtained my PhD in 2004 from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), where my doctoral research focused on sulfur-oxidizing biofilms. I subsequently completed a postdoctoral stay at Portland State University, specializing in the microbial ecology of hydrothermal environments. In 2008, I joined the ICM-CSIC through the Juan de la Cierva program, where I redirected my research toward marine bacterioplankton. Since 2019, I have been based at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) in Málaga, first as a Distinguished Researcher and currently as Senior Research Scientist. My work integrates classical and state-of-the-art methodologies, including high-throughput sequencing, to investigate microbial diversity and function in marine ecosystems. My current research focuses on four main areas: (i) the spatial and temporal distribution of marine microorganisms, (ii) the ecology of photoheterotrophic bacteria, (iii) the role of microorganisms in carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles, and (iv) polar microbial ecology.